We have 64 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Dundy County, Nebraska.
https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/65-days-until-gameday-–-day-29-dundy-county-nebraska.8883152/
Fillmore County, Nebraska
Former Huskers and Spotlights
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 6 letterman football players from Fillmore County, NE.
Emil Hendrickson – G 1923, Shickley, NE.
Riley Moses – OL 2022, Fairmont, NE.
Derrie Nelson – DE 1978-1980, Fairmont, NE.
Dick McCashland – FB/C 1956-1958, Geneva, NE.
Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Fillmore County:
Margaret Haughawout – Born and raised in Fairmont at the beginning of the 20th century. Graduate of Hastings College and UNL, she was the superintendent of schools for Fillmore County. There, she started a citizenship class in Geneva that helped immigrants in the county prepare for naturalization and getting their citizenship. She was also a published poet/author.
Eddie Brown – Former professional baseball player born in Milligan. Played 7 years in the MLB for the New York Giants, Brooklyn Robins, and Boston Braves between 1920 and 1928. Played in 790 games in his career, finishing with a .303 batting average, 16 home runs, 170 doubles, 33 triples, 109 strikeouts and scoring 341 runs. His slash line: .303/.334/.400.
Donald Trauger – born and raised in Exeter. A pioneer in physics and engineering in America. Worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII working on the gaseous infusion process separating uranium isotopes which enriches the uranium for the atomic bomb.
Richard Dier – born and raised in Exeter. UNL alum. Served in the Army during WWII. Appointed by President Nixon as the Federal Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Jeff Zeleny – born and raised in Exeter. UNL alum. Journalist and chief national affairs correspondent for CNN. Pulitzer Prize winner when he was with the Chicago Tribune. While at UNL, he was the editor for the Daily Nebraskan and played trumpet in the Cornhusker Marching Band.
Jai Steadman – born in Geneva. UNL alum. Currently the head coach of Independence Community College men’s basketball program. Has been coaching basketball collegiately and professionally since 1999. When an assistant coach with the Ft. Worth Flyers (NBA D-league team), he coached Ime Udoka who is the current head coach of the Houston Rockets.
Robert Wilson – born in Geneva, raised in Lincoln. Received full academic scholarship to Harvard in 1955. Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economic Sciences for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.
John Nelson – born and raised in Geneva. 40th Lt. Governor of Nebraska and served under Gov. Heineman. UNL alum and Creighton Alum.
Terry Murrell - born and raised in Geneva. Currently the President of Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, IA, where he has led renovations to the campus, learning centers, and housing complexes. UNK and UNL alum.
Maggie Malone-Hardin – From Geneva, Maggie was a 4x NCAA All-American in track & field at Nebraska and Texas A&M. First athlete in American history to win an NCAA title and Olympic Trials in the same year when she won the javelin with an NCAA record 62.19m for the NCAA title. A Big Ten and SEC champion in javelin. A 3x Olympian, she placed 10th in the javelin at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Currently a volunteer coach for the Nebraska Track & Field program coaching javelin throwers. Maggie is also preparing for the 2028 Olympic Trials.
Maggie comes from an athletic family. Her father, Danny Malone, played defensive tackle for Nebraska and was on the1970 National Championship team. He mother, Nancy, is a very successful track and field athlete. Nancy is a member of Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame and also competed for Nebraska, winning multiple Big Eight titles in the heptathlon and pentathlon.
Kate Barnard – born in Geneva, the family moved to Kansas in her infancy and then to Oklahoma as a teenager. She was the first woman elected as a state official in Oklahoma, and just the 11th in American history. She served as the Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Corrections. Played a key role in improving working conditions for Oklahomans, banning child labor, supporting widows, enacting compulsory education laws, and bringing to light abusive conditions of Oklahoman prisoners in Kansas which led to the construction of the first state penitentiary in Oklahoma. She has a statue on the first floor of the Oklahoma State Capitol and was inducted in the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.
GO BIG RED
Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Nebraska
https://fillmorecountyne.gov/
Yesterday we looked at Dundy County, Nebraska.
https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/65-days-until-gameday-–-day-29-dundy-county-nebraska.8883152/
Fillmore County, Nebraska
- Established in 1856 and named after President Millard Fillmore.
- Population ~5,500 (2025)
- The population of Fillmore County has steadily declined since 1890.
- The county seat is Geneva.
- License plate prefix #34.
- Approximately 577 square miles.
- The first homesteaders arrived in Fillmore County in 1866.
- In 1871, the Burlington and Missouri Railroads laid their tracks through the county.
- Rich history of Czech settlers in Eastern Fillmore County, Swedish settlers in southwestern Fillmore County, and German settlers in southeastern and southwestern Fillmore County.
- There are 9 ghost towns in the county.
- As of the 2020 census, there were 8 households with a total 30 people in Strang, NE.
- Ohiowa was platted in 1886 when the railroad came through and was named by the settlers who came from Ohio and Iowa.
- Interesting note: Towns along the Burlington and Missouri railroad were named alphabetically as the town ran westward from Lincoln (Crete, Dorchester, Exeter, Fairmont, Grafton, Harvard, Inland, Juniata, Kenesaw, Lowell).
Former Huskers and Spotlights
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 6 letterman football players from Fillmore County, NE.
Emil Hendrickson – G 1923, Shickley, NE.
- Listed on the rosters for the 1921 and 1923 teams, lettering in 1923.
- Played guard and tackle for Nebraska.
- The 1923 football team finished 4-2-2 and Co-Missouri Valley Conference champions.
- The 1923 football season produced some of the earliest film we have from Husker history.
- That team upset the daunted Four Horseman of Notre Dame.
Riley Moses – OL 2022, Fairmont, NE.
- 6’2” 290lb offensive lineman wearing #53.
- All-State lineman out of Fillmore Central HS.
- Walk-on at Nebraska, providing depth along the offensive line and appearing in 1 game.
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Class C state champion wrestler at heavyweight in 2019 going 44-2. Finished his wrestling career with 175 wins and 132 pins.
Derrie Nelson – DE 1978-1980, Fairmont, NE.
- 6’2’’ 220lb defensive end wearing #92.
- All-State football player out of Fairmont Public School.
- Walk-on who found great success.
- Started 3 seasons at Nebraska amassing 145 tackles, 30 TFLs, 7 fumble recoveries, 1 blocked kick, and 1 INT.
- 2x 1st Team All-Big Eight
- 2x All-American
- 1980 Lombardi Award Semifinalist
- 1980 Co-Captain
- 1980 Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year
- Selected in the 4th round of the 1981 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys
- Nebraska Football Hall of Fame member
- 5’11” 180lb quarterback wearing #17.
- Played at Nebraska from 1935-1938, lettering from 1936-1938.
- Shared the starting duties at QB in 1936 and 1937.
- 1936 season would finish 7-2 and ranked #9 in Dana Bible’s final season at Nebraska.
- 1937 season would finish 6-1-2 and ranked #11 in Biff Jones’ first season at Nebraska.
Dick McCashland – FB/C 1956-1958, Geneva, NE.
- 5'10” 190lb fullback and center wearing #30 (FB) and #50 (C).
- Played at Nebraska from 1954 to 1958, lettering from 1956-1958.
- Co-Captain of the 1958 football team.
- The 1957 season finished 1-9 in Bill Jennings’ 1st season at Nebraska. It would be the first 1-win season since 1899 and the first 9-loss season in school history.
- 1958 season finished 3-7, giving Bill Jennings a 4-16 record in his first 2 years.
- 1958 Tom Novak Award winner
- McCashland would later go on to be the President of the Nebraska Football Touchdown Club.
- 6’3” 240lb defensive tackle wearing #94
- Lettered at Nebraska in 1972.
- The 1972 season finished 9-2-1and ranked #4 in Bob Devaney’s 11th and final season at Nebraska.
Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Fillmore County:
Margaret Haughawout – Born and raised in Fairmont at the beginning of the 20th century. Graduate of Hastings College and UNL, she was the superintendent of schools for Fillmore County. There, she started a citizenship class in Geneva that helped immigrants in the county prepare for naturalization and getting their citizenship. She was also a published poet/author.
Eddie Brown – Former professional baseball player born in Milligan. Played 7 years in the MLB for the New York Giants, Brooklyn Robins, and Boston Braves between 1920 and 1928. Played in 790 games in his career, finishing with a .303 batting average, 16 home runs, 170 doubles, 33 triples, 109 strikeouts and scoring 341 runs. His slash line: .303/.334/.400.
Donald Trauger – born and raised in Exeter. A pioneer in physics and engineering in America. Worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII working on the gaseous infusion process separating uranium isotopes which enriches the uranium for the atomic bomb.
Richard Dier – born and raised in Exeter. UNL alum. Served in the Army during WWII. Appointed by President Nixon as the Federal Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Jeff Zeleny – born and raised in Exeter. UNL alum. Journalist and chief national affairs correspondent for CNN. Pulitzer Prize winner when he was with the Chicago Tribune. While at UNL, he was the editor for the Daily Nebraskan and played trumpet in the Cornhusker Marching Band.
Jai Steadman – born in Geneva. UNL alum. Currently the head coach of Independence Community College men’s basketball program. Has been coaching basketball collegiately and professionally since 1999. When an assistant coach with the Ft. Worth Flyers (NBA D-league team), he coached Ime Udoka who is the current head coach of the Houston Rockets.
Robert Wilson – born in Geneva, raised in Lincoln. Received full academic scholarship to Harvard in 1955. Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economic Sciences for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.
John Nelson – born and raised in Geneva. 40th Lt. Governor of Nebraska and served under Gov. Heineman. UNL alum and Creighton Alum.
Terry Murrell - born and raised in Geneva. Currently the President of Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, IA, where he has led renovations to the campus, learning centers, and housing complexes. UNK and UNL alum.
Maggie Malone-Hardin – From Geneva, Maggie was a 4x NCAA All-American in track & field at Nebraska and Texas A&M. First athlete in American history to win an NCAA title and Olympic Trials in the same year when she won the javelin with an NCAA record 62.19m for the NCAA title. A Big Ten and SEC champion in javelin. A 3x Olympian, she placed 10th in the javelin at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Currently a volunteer coach for the Nebraska Track & Field program coaching javelin throwers. Maggie is also preparing for the 2028 Olympic Trials.
Maggie comes from an athletic family. Her father, Danny Malone, played defensive tackle for Nebraska and was on the1970 National Championship team. He mother, Nancy, is a very successful track and field athlete. Nancy is a member of Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame and also competed for Nebraska, winning multiple Big Eight titles in the heptathlon and pentathlon.
Kate Barnard – born in Geneva, the family moved to Kansas in her infancy and then to Oklahoma as a teenager. She was the first woman elected as a state official in Oklahoma, and just the 11th in American history. She served as the Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Corrections. Played a key role in improving working conditions for Oklahomans, banning child labor, supporting widows, enacting compulsory education laws, and bringing to light abusive conditions of Oklahoman prisoners in Kansas which led to the construction of the first state penitentiary in Oklahoma. She has a statue on the first floor of the Oklahoma State Capitol and was inducted in the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.
GO BIG RED
Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Nebraska
https://fillmorecountyne.gov/
